Thank God I'm Wearing Stockings

Thank God I'm wearing stockings.

I haven't had a pedicure since I had both big toenails removed last June. Pedicures landed me in that predicament, and a touchy, half-grown bed keeps me from going back.

But I'm liking what I see standing in front of the warehouse mirror at Unclaimed Baggage in Scottsboro, Alabama.

The 6-inch, spiked, all-black, open-toed stiletto Louboutins give my body a real glow-up. The leather smells new, barely worn. My booty is sitting high, and my thigh has an instant split. I have to roll my shoulders back to counteract the height imbalance, and I feel like a celebrity on the red carpet.

Cherice nods. See? She goes to find my mom and her friend Zina. I call Zara from the men's department for his approval.

He comes over. The entire section gathers. Men give me the nod. A little old lady clasps her hands together and says, "Please get these shoes!"

I'm Carrie Bradshaw, and she is my credit card addiction.

Zina and Zara approve. The growing crowd is waiting in anticipation: Will she say yes?

I read my mom's face. She half-smiles with raised brows, neutral.

The price is a complete steal. But I'm hesitating. They hurt like a motherfucker, and I know I'll be walking like a newborn giraffe if I go three steps in these shoes. Besides, I have big plans this year: buy a house, build an apiary, be debt free.

I've been on a mission to take good care of myself. Years ago, Dr. Pat—a 92-year-old retired therapist—told Trelani and me while we were visiting her home that a woman's mantra should be to take good care of herself. It stuck. It's my New Year's resolution.

Cherice said hers was steward what she has well.

Well, I have this body, and I want to adorn it with precious and righteous things. I've been wearing natural fibers for a couple of years now. I think it's time to step it up a notch, but my finances are part of that equation, and I need to take good care of my bank account, too.

I ask the lady to hold them while I look around and decide. She'll keep them off the shelf for two hours.

The crowd disperses back into their own worlds. I set them out of mind.

Unclaimed Baggage is huge, almost the size of a small airport. We'd been there for over 45 minutes and barely made it through electronics. It's a treasure chest, and everyone's finding gold: Zara in leather loafers, Cherice in $22 Quay shades, my mom's $5 "Wifey" Anthropologie sweater. A simple gold ring in the luxury section? $5K. The prices were as wide-ranging as the building. Nothing makes sense here.

Two hours later, we've rummaged through the bargain basement: Zina finds a purse, mom piles mystery bags in the cart.

Cherice asks me about the shoes. I say the red is a little worn. She says that's an easy fix.

I google it. $550 if I'd bought on eBay and $1,295 new. Then I look up how much to restore the red bottoms. $50-$100 to repaint.

Sold.

$175 for my first red bottoms.

My mom smiled wide on the drive home, said some things are too good to pass up.

That night, I break them in by walking around the house in thick socks. I pretend I'm Kristy Scott and skip and hop. The soles click on the hardwood. My toes ache. My ankle gives out.

I walk the hallway like Zendaya. I'm up to 5 clean steps.

I prop my feet crisscross on top of the island counter and eat sweet potato cereal like a Kardashian on my own show.

Eat slow and deliberate, as if a camera crew is watching.

Earlier this month, I was on a TikTok binge and found a woman who is all about fiber. She put me on this new-for-me way of eating sweet potatoes. I've been hooked all week, told some friends about it, too.

The trick is to freeze the Japanese white sweet potato overnight to notch the sweetness up a level. Dessert for breakfast.

It's all so indulgent, like treats this good should be bad for the body. But it's not. Feels like something worth doing more often. I plan to. Maybe you will too.

Until next week. 🥂

P.S. The sweet potato cereal recipe:

Freeze a Japanese white sweet potato overnight.

In the morning, roast at 350° for 75 minutes.

Break it apart with your fingers into a bowl with walnuts (it tastes better that way, trust me), maple syrup (optional), sweet potato pie spices (optional, too).

Pour cold coconut or oat milk (you can do almond if you like that sort of thing).

I eat mine warm with cold milk. Enjoy. :)

P.S.S. Mom's Mystery Bag:

https://video.wixstatic.com/video/f97205_98360f7b1b2e4da393a71f831304f07c/720p/mp4/file.mp4